UGA players making the rounds at various houses on Thanksgiving

Wednesday

For Georgia football players, the Thanksgiving question may not be what to pile on their plates for their holiday feast but where to get filled up.

The popular answer for the past 15 years was at the home of assistant coach Rodney Garner, whose family helped cook up a storm to feed about 50, including a bunch of 300-pound linemen.

Now, with Garner back on staff at his alma mater Auburn, there are as many options as there are types of pies available.

Thomas Settles, a team chaplain, is opening the doors of his Athens house for anybody that can't make it home to be with their family.

Running backs coach Bryan McClendon is preparing for "a big group" that he expects will include fullback Quayvon Hicks and tailback Todd Gurley.

Defensive lineman Garrison Smith and offensive linemen Chris Burnette and David Andrews also will be hosting teammates.

"We just wanted to open it up," Settles said. "It's funny, now guys are saying they're going to take a tour and hit a couple of different spots."

Said McClendon: "They like to make the circuit."

Georgia practices this morning for Saturday's game at Georgia Tech, giving enough time for players to get a chance to enjoy the rest of the day before returning again on Friday.

"It's important enough that we schedule practice early enough in the day so that the players, the coaches and the entire staff have time to be able to go have Thanksgving," coach Mark Richt said. "It's important that everyone has a place to break bread on Thanksgiving."

Smith said he also expected Gurley to make it to his home in Atlanta. Smith's mother will be cooking for teammates and family.

"I might stop by (McClendon's) house to get a plate and then head to Garrison's house," Gurley said.

Gurley, from North Carolina, said he can hang with Smith when it comes to gorging.

"Oh, yeah, heck yeah," Gurley said. "I'm really a lineman at heart. ... As long as I have some banana pudding, I'll be happy."

Settles said he expected cornerback Sheldon Dawson, receiver Jonathon Rumph and Hicks to come by his meal. He's expecting 15 to 20 players and some basketball players and track athletes it spend time with his wife Avita and their three kids.

The chitlins - pig intestines - that Garner served up aren't on the menu.

"I'm under 40," said the 32-year old Settles. "I don't do chitlins."

Garner and Settles spoke after the Auburn game two weeks ago.

"He loved the idea of the guys coming over," Settles said. "I told him we're not going to have the spread that he had."

Settles said he didn't think Garner was doing the big Thanksgiving gathering this year with players at Auburn because he's still in a condo with his Athens home still on the market.

"He said his mother was bummed because this is was like the first time in like 15 years that they're not doing it," Settles said.

Burnette and his wife, Arielle, borrowed some chairs from Calvary Baptist Church, where Settles is the pastor, for his Thanksgiving meal at their two-bedroom house in town. Arielle and her grandmother, great aunt and mother will do the cooking.

"I might do something I guess, too, but it will be a group effort," Burnette said.

Andrews will have fellow linemen Watts Dantzler and Hunter Long over to his home in Johns Creek.

"We usually have a good amount of guys and try to take anyone that doesn't have somewhere (to go)," Andrews said. "My mom loves putting on a big spread for people. She enjoys it and they get a good meal."

Settles, whose salary is paid not by UGA but by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was at the hospital on Tuesday to be with quarterback Aaron Murray and wider receiver Justin Scott-Wesley when they each underwent ACL surgery. He co-officiated Burnette's wedding last spring in Tampa, Fla., with the pastor of the church Arielle went to growing up.

"He's there whenever you need somebody to talk to," cornerback Damian Swann said. "He's a great guy, a family man. That's one of the positive influences of the program, you need that in your program."

That carries over to the holiday when players too far from home can get some home cooking.

"It's good to be able to be able go somewhere and get out of the dorm," Settles said. "We don't want anybody to be by themselves. We want folks to really enjoy the family atmosphere for Thanksgiving."

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